hi new fowlr setup

[ob_on3]

Hi....been researching beginner Fowlr setups.... drs foster and smith have a setup for 30g tank Fowlr....marine Bio wheel filter is what they suggest.... my tank is 35g hexagon and I'm wondering does anyone disagree with this? Also sea clone protein skimmer 100... all input welcom

 

[poksal]

Well, ...ummmh....expect to find must of us aren't to big on bio-wheels... require too much maintenance and produce too much bad chemistry.. most of us use live rock and a skimmer to let nature do what it does best... and they provide the filtration.

More members will chime in shortly.

 

[ob_on3]

I see...well I'm going to use live rock as well...but initially I was looking into a wet dry filter... but every time I check into small tanks no one uses them unless they have coral... which I do not intend on having...is it OK to not have a filter with on a p. Skimmer?

 

[Smitty]

Hello and welcome to the site...as long as you have enough live rock, sand, and a protein skimmer...you won't need the biowheel filter.

 

[BL1]

With a 35g tank, I'd just have the live rock. I wouldn't worry about a hang on filter or a skimmer. With tanks that small it's easy enough to just keep everything stable with weekly water changes. And since you're running a FOWLR you have more leeway with your params

 

[poksal]

We just don't run filters.. they are a hassle and harbor bad chemistry. Think in terms of 1 to 2 pounds of LR per gallon... you can start with mostly 9 out of 10 pounds of dry rock (dried out live rock) and the rest live rock (LR) which seeds the dry rock.
.. the skimmer is a "nice to have" with fish only but is not as important without coral on that sized tank.

 

[ob_on3]

OK....now that I'm getting insight...I'm questioning what else they recommend...is anyone familiar with the list...its on their sight...does this also mean since I'll only have a protein skimmer , should I have a power head....because they didn't recommend it in the list...which actually truck me as odd!

 

[ob_on3]

Struck*

 

[poksal]

LOL..yes a power head in your tank is a good way to move the water and is more important with corals... but it is a sure fire method to make sure your water gets good circulation and can be used to make ripples on the surface which are good for ox mix into the water. Which is good for your fish.

 

[poksal]

Don't forget just because you aren't going to have corals.. doesn't mean you won't be able to have some really cool critters on and among your live rock... there are some really interesting life forms out there... enjoy.

 

[ob_on3]

Thx for the insight members

 

[ob_on3]

More replies welcome with suggestions on what I should purchase....also budget mindful!

 

[chichimom79]

I'd go with a pair of awesome clownfish and a blenny of some kind

 

[ob_on3]

im definitely gonna go with a clown...not sure if im going to put two because i also want a dori(blue fish from nemo) and maybe a yellow tang...not sure if the tank is big enough for all of them to do well with the levels...but im still doing my research while i get my funds in order cause the last thing i want is to kill everything .... i wasnt going to get a filter...im thinking now im going to go with a nano canister just for a little extra help without the nonsense of a bio wheel which i hear just adds problems and a skimmer...still debating on a power head....and on top of all that wondering where im going to purchase all this for the best price, definitely dont want to get ripped off!!

 

[FishyReef]

Nope, definitely not big enough for any tang! "Dori" needs at least a 6ft long tank (180g is the minimum recommended size), and a yellow tang needs at least a 4ft long tank (recommended size is actually 125g, which is 6ft long, but many people have kept them in 90g tanks with success). You are actually going to be quite limited in what you can keep, especially since a hexagonal tank doesn't offer much vertical swimming room. I would look for fish that don't need anything more than a 20-30g tank minimum. Live Aquaria.com is a very reputable site that will give you good info on tank size minimums. Welcome!

 

[Ted]

+1 fishy

 

[ob_on3]

I don't get it....I've seen them in 55g before...this sux...thx for the info...I'll look into the sight...if u have any suggestions on what would go nice let me know

 

[poksal]

Remember seeing a fish species in a tank at an LFS does not mean it should live in that sized tank for the remainder of its life.

 

[FishyReef]

+1 Poksal

And a 55g is 4ft long. A 35g hex isn't even 2ft in length. When you see size requirements listed they are for standard sized aquariums - so when a site says that a fish needs a 180g minimum, they are referring to a 6ft tank; a 30g minimum tank is still 2.5 feet long. Saltwater fish need a ton of swimming room - I said vertical earlier but actually meant horizontal (whoops!). Clown fish spend less time swimming around - they tend to pick a spot and stick to it - and seahorses do well with vertical tanks (but are not good beginner fish and need a dedicated tank). I'd stick with nano fish. I'm in a similar boat, setting up a hexagonal tank of my own right now.

 

[ob_on3]

thanks a lot for the input...i was up last night looking into the nano fish as well...they really dont catch my attention ...i guess ill just work on the live rock as much as i can and try and get different types of clown fish.... i thought about the seahorse as well but i saw it said difficult for care so ill definitely stay away from that...